The present invention relates to a plate inserting apparatus for inserting the leading edge bent portion of a new plate into the groove portion of a plate cylinder.
A conventional plate inserting apparatus includes a press roller rotatably supported to be able to come into contact with to and separate from the outer surface of a plate cylinder, and a braking member which brakes the rotation of the press roller. In this arrangement, when the leading edge bent portion of a new plate is to be inserted in a groove portion formed in the outer surface of the plate cylinder, the braking member brakes the rotation of the press roller, as described in U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2007/0006759. This regulates the press roller from being dragged by the rotation of the plate cylinder so that the press roller is stopped reliably. Hence, the new plate is mounted such that its leading edge bent portion inserted in the groove portion is reliably in tight contact with the wall surface of the groove portion.
In the above conventional plate inserting apparatus, if ink is attached to the outer surface of the press roller, the distal end of the braking member urged against the outer surface of the press roller slips and cannot stop the press roller reliably. In this case, the press roller is undesirably dragged by the plate cylinder, and the leading edge bent portion inserted in the groove portion cannot be brought into tight contact with the wall surface of the groove portion.
As the press roller is forcibly stopped by urging the braking member against the outer surface of the press roller, the outer surface of the press roller and the distal end of the braking member wear to degrade the durability.